Lateral support device

ABSTRACT

According to one embodiment, a lateral support device for an anchor embedded in the ground includes a central body defining an interior channel sized to receive the embedded anchor. The lateral support device also includes a plurality of fins coupled to and extending outwardly away from the central body. The central body and plurality of fins are embeddable within the ground to position the embedded anchor within the interior channel.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/168,509, filed Apr. 10, 2009, which is incorporatedherein by reference.

FIELD

This disclosure relates to embedment anchors, and more particularly, toa lateral support device for embedment anchors.

BACKGROUND

Embedment anchors or piles embedded in the ground are used in any ofvarious applications for providing enhanced vertical and lateral loadcapability. For example, in some applications, embedment anchors can beused to provide additional load capability to towers that support largestructures, such as billboards, wind turbines, fluid containers,communication, power, and other transmission devices, lighting, freewaysigns, etc.

In applications that utilize embedment anchors to increase the overallload capability of the structure being anchored by the anchors, it maybe desirable to increase the lateral load rating of the anchors.Typically, embedment anchors provide superior vertical or axial loadcompression resistance properties and moderate lateral load resistanceproperties. Certain configurations of anchors or piles, e.g., anchorswith diameters of twelve inches or smaller, may have a lower resistanceto lateral loads relative to the axial loads sustainable by the anchors.This may be especially true when large axial loads are applied to theanchors. In some applications, it may be desirable to increase thelateral load rating of the anchors.

Conventional structures and methods for providing enhanced lateral loadcapability to embedment anchors have various shortcomings. Accordingly,it would be desirable to provide an apparatus, system, and/or methodthat provides enhanced lateral load capability to embedment anchors thatovercomes one or more of the shortcomings of conventional structures andmethods.

SUMMARY

The subject matter of the present application has been developed inresponse to the present state of the art, and in particular, in responseto the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solvedby currently devices and systems. Accordingly, the subject matter of thepresent application has been developed to provide a lateral supportdevice and associated systems and methods that overcomes at least someshortcomings of the prior art.

According to one embodiment, a lateral support device for an anchorembedded in the ground includes a central body defining an interiorchannel sized to receive the embedded anchor. The lateral support devicealso includes a plurality of fins coupled to and extending outwardlyaway from the central body. The central body and plurality of fins areembeddable within the ground to position the embedded anchor within theinterior channel.

In certain implementations, when the central body and plurality of finsare embedded in the ground to position the embedded anchor within theinterior channel, lateral loads on the embedded anchor are transferredto the central body, from the central body to the plurality of fins, andfrom the plurality of fins to the ground. In some implementations, thecentral body has an elongate tubular shape and each of the plurality offins extends along an entire length of the central body. Each fin can besubstantially parallel to the length of the central body. In certainimplementations, each fin includes a leading edge angled relative to thelength of the central body.

According to some implementations, the plurality of fins are positionedabout an outer periphery of the central body equidistantly apart fromeach other. Each of the plurality of fins can extend substantiallytransversely away from the central body.

In another embodiment, an anchoring system includes an anchor embeddableinto the ground and a lateral support sleeve that has an anchorreceptacle. The lateral support sleeve is embeddable into the groundabout the anchor such that the anchor is positioned within the anchorreceptacle. The lateral support sleeve has a plurality of fins.

In some implementations of the system, the plurality of fins eachextends substantially parallel to the anchor when the anchor and lateralsupport sleeve are embedded into the ground. In certain implementations,the cross-sectional size and shape of the anchor receptacle issubstantially the same as a cross-sectional size and shape of the anchorsuch that when the anchor is positioned within the anchor receptacle theanchor is in substantial contact with the anchor receptacle. In certainother implementations, at least one of a cross-sectional size and shapeof the anchor receptacle is different than at least one of across-sectional size and shape of the anchor such that a gap isdefinable between the anchor and the anchor receptacle when the anchoris positioned within the anchor receptacle. The system can include aplurality of anchors embeddable into the ground and a plurality oflateral support sleeves each being embeddable into the ground about arespective one of the plurality of anchors.

According to yet another embodiment, a method for installing ananchoring system includes removably coupling an installation tool to ananchor embedded in the ground. The method also includes movably couplinga lateral support device to the installation tool and while movablycoupled to the installation tool, driving the lateral support deviceinto the ground about the embedded anchor. Further, the method includesremoving the installation tool from the anchor after driving the lateralsupport device about the embedded anchor.

In some implementations of the method, the lateral support deviceincludes an anchor receptacle and a plurality of fins extending awayfrom the anchor receptacle. In such implementations, movably couplingthe lateral support device to the installation tool can includeinserting the installation tool into the anchor receptacle.

According to some implementations, driving the lateral support deviceinto the ground about the embedded anchor includes inserting theembedded anchor into the anchor receptacle. The method can furtherinclude positioning a grout-like material between the embedded anchorand the anchor receptacle. Alternatively, the method can includepress-fitting the embedded anchor into the anchor receptacle.

In certain implementations of the method, when removably coupled to theembedded anchor, the installation tool is aligned with and extendssubstantially parallel to the embedded anchor. In yet someimplementations of the method, driving the lateral support deviceincludes moving the lateral support device along the installation toolwhere the installation tool maintains the lateral support device inalignment with the embedded anchor as the lateral support device movesalong the installation tool.

In another embodiment, a tower foundation system includes a base and aplurality of anchors coupleable to the base and embeddable into theground to secure the base to the ground. The tower foundation systemalso includes a plurality of lateral support sleeves each securable to arespective one of the plurality of anchors. Each lateral support sleeveis embeddable into the ground about the respective anchor. Also, eachlateral support sleeve comprises a plurality of fins.

In yet another embodiment, a method for installing a tower foundationincludes embedding an anchor in the ground, securing an installationtool to the anchor, and positioning a lateral support device over theinstallation tool. The lateral support device includes a plurality offins. The method also includes driving the lateral support device alongthe installation tool and into the ground about the anchor. Further,after driving the lateral support device, the method includes removingthe installation tool from the anchor. The method additionally includessecuring a foundation base to the anchor.

Reference throughout this specification to features, advantages, orsimilar language does not imply that all of the features and advantagesthat may be realized with the subject matter of the present disclosureshould be or are in any single embodiment. Rather, language referring tothe features and advantages is understood to mean that a specificfeature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with anembodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the presentdisclosure. Thus, discussion of the features and advantages, and similarlanguage, throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily,refer to the same embodiment.

Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics ofthe subject matter of the present disclosure may be combined in anysuitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevantart will recognize that the subject matter may be practiced without oneor more of the specific features or advantages of a particularembodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages maybe recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in allembodiments. These features and advantages are more fully apparent fromthe above description and appended claims, or may be learned by thepractice of the subject matter as set forth above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the advantages of the subject matter may be more readilyunderstood, a more particular description of the subject matter brieflydescribed above will be rendered by reference to specific embodimentsthat are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that thesedrawings depict only typical embodiments of the subject matter and arenot therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the subjectmatter will be described and explained with additional specificity anddetail through the use of the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a tower foundation base according to onerepresentative embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side elevation view of the tower foundationbase of FIG. 1 taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 but shown with capsand anchors coupled to the base;

FIG. 3 is an exploded side view of the tower foundation shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a tower foundation according to anotherrepresentative embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side elevation view of the tower foundationof FIG. 4 taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of a lateral support device according toone representative embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the lateral support device of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an exploded side elevation view of the lateral support deviceof FIG. 6 along with an installation tool and an embedded anchoraccording to one embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation view of the lateral support device of FIG. 6being installed about the embedded anchor using the installation tooland a driving mechanism according to one embodiment; and

FIG. 10 is a side elevation view of the lateral support device of FIG. 6installed about the embedded anchor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “anembodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature,structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodimentis included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus,appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” andsimilar language throughout this specification may, but do notnecessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.

Additionally, instances in this specification where one element is“coupled” to another element can include direct and indirect coupling.Direct coupling can be defined as one element coupled to and in somecontact with another element. Indirect coupling can be defined ascoupling between two elements not in direct contact with each other, buthaving one or more additional elements between the coupled elements.Further, as used herein, securing one element to another element caninclude direct securing and indirect securing. Additionally, as usedherein, “adjacent” does not necessarily denote contact. For example, oneelement can be adjacent another element without being in contact withthat element.

Furthermore, the details, including the features, structures, orcharacteristics, of the subject matter described herein may be combinedin any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in therelevant art will recognize, however, that the subject matter may bepracticed without one or more of the specific details, or with othermethods, components, materials, and so forth. In other instances,well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown ordescribed in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the disclosed subjectmatter.

Described herein are various embodiments of a lateral support device andmethods for an embedment anchor or pile. As mentioned above, embedmentanchors can be used in myriad applications. Correspondingly, the lateralsupport device described herein can be used in myriad applications forproviding lateral support to an embedment anchor. For exemplary purposesonly, the lateral support device of the present application is describedhereinafter as being associated with one specific application, i.e., atower foundation. Although the lateral support device is described inthe context of a tower foundation, it can be used in any otherapplication in which embedment anchors are used without departing fromthe essence of the invention. The description of the lateral supportdevice proceeds with reference to several embodiments of a towerfoundation. Following the description of the tower foundation,embodiments of the lateral support device of the present applicationwill be described in more detail.

Referring to FIG. 1, a tower foundation 10 according to onerepresentative embodiment is shown. The tower foundation 10 includes aplurality of arms 20 that are secured to and radially extend away from acentral support column 30.

The central support column 30 includes a generally tubular shaped memberextending from a first lower end 38 to a second upper end 39 (see FIG.2). The tubular shaped member of the central support column 30 definesan outer surface 32 and an inner surface 34. Preferably, the centralsupport column 30 is made of a substantially rigid and durable material,such as steel.

The central support column 30 can have any of various lengths andcross-sectional shapes. For example, in some implementations, thecentral support column 30 can extend the entire length of the tower fromthe foundation 10 to the supported structure. More specifically, thecentral support column 30 can be a continuous, one-piece length of pipesecured to the foundation 10 at lower end portion and the supportedstructure at an opposite upper end portion. Alternatively, as shown inFIG. 2, the central support column 30 can comprise a section of theoverall support column of the tower. For example, the central supportcolumn 30 can be a base section of the overall support column with oneor more sections attached or spliced to the base section to complete theoverall support column. In some instances, for ease in transportation,the central support column 30 can be a base section of the overallsupport column, and transported separate from the remaining section orsections of the overall support column. Likewise, in some instances, forease in installation, as will be described in more detail below, thecentral support column 30 can be a base section and the foundation 10can first be secured to the ground, with the remaining section orsections of the overall support column attached to the base sectionlater.

Each of the arms 20 extends lengthwise from a first inner end 24 to asecond outer end 26. The arms 20 can have any of various lengths. Incertain instances, the length of the arms 20 depends at least partiallyon the above-ground height, weight, and size of the supported structure.In some exemplary implementations, the length of the arms 20 is betweenabout 1 and about 10 feet. The first inner and second outer ends 24, 26each extend substantially parallel to a height of the arms 20. The firstinner end 24 is secured to an outer surface 32 of the support column 30and the outer end 26 is coupled to a housing 62 of an anchor attachmentsystem 60. As shown in FIG. 2, in some implementations, the arms 20 aresecured to the central support column 30 at a location intermediate thefirst lower end 38 and second upper end 39. In other words, the supportcolumn 30 can extend above and below the support arms. However, in otherimplementations, the arms 20 can be secured to the central supportcolumn 30 at any of various locations on the support column. Forexample, the arms 20 can be secured to the central support column 30such that their upper edges are proximate, e.g., substantially flushwith, the second upper end 39 of the support column, or their loweredges are proximate, e.g., substantially flush with, the first lower end38 of the support column.

In some implementations, each arm 20 can be a relatively thin plate witha length and height that each is substantially greater than its width.The arms 20 are made of a substantially rigid and durable material, suchas, for example, steel. Moreover, the arms 20 can be secured to thecentral support column 30 and coupled to the housing 62 by any ofvarious coupling methods known in the art, such as, for example,welding, bracketing, bolting and/or fastening. Although the towerfoundation 10 includes eight arms 20 equidistantly spaced about thecircumference of the support column 30, in other implementations, thetower foundation can include more or less than eight arms and can be anequal distance from each other or variably distanced from each otherabout the support column.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1, the housing 62 is a generallytubular member extending in a generally vertical direction, i.e.,substantially parallel to a central axis 36 of the central column 30(see FIG. 2), between bottom and top ends 64, 66, respectively. However,in other embodiments, the housing 62 can be angled with respect to thecentral axis 36 of the column 30. The housing 62 defines a conduit orspace 63 having at least a minimum cross-sectional dimension within thehousing. For example, the tubular member of the housing 62 can besubstantially cylindrical shaped with a conduit having at least aminimum diameter. Alternatively, the tubular member of the housing 62can be shaped according to various shapes, such as a substantiallyrectangular or square shape in cross-section with a conduit having atleast a minimum width, length and/or diagonal dimension.

The tower foundation 10 can also include a foundation stiffener 40 thatcouples the arms 20 and housings 62 together. The stiffener 40 includestwo vertically spaced-apart stiffener plates 40 a, 40 b secured to thetop and bottom edges of the arms 20, the outer surfaces of the housings62 and the outer surface 32 of the support column 30. Accordingly, insome implementations, the distance between the stiffener plates 40 a, 40b is approximately equal to the height of the arms. Although thestiffener plates 40 a, 40 b are shown secured to the top and bottomedges of the arms 20, in some embodiments, the stiffener plates 40 a, 40b can be secured to the sides of the arms and the distance between theplates can be less than the height of the arms Like the arms 20, theplates 40 a, 40 b can be relatively thin plates made of a substantiallyrigid and durable material, such as steel.

Referring to FIG. 2, the anchor attachment system 60 further includesbottom and top caps 68, 70, respectively. Generally, the bottom and topcaps 68, 70 are securable to the bottom and top ends 64, 66 ofrespective housings 62 to effectively enclose or seal the conduit 63.The bottom cap 68 includes a sealing portion 72 and an anchor attachmentportion 74. The sealing portion 72 includes a plate having a surfacearea greater than the cross-sectional area of the conduit 63. The anchorattachment portion 74 includes a tubular member with an inner diametergreater than an outer diameter of the anchor 50 (at an upper attachmentend portion 56 of the anchor) and a plurality of apertures 76 (see FIG.3). The apertures 76 are alignable with apertures 54 formed in theanchor 50.

Similar to the bottom cap 68, the top cap 70 includes a sealing portion78 with a plate having a surface area greater than the cross-sectionalarea of the conduit 63. The top cap 70 also includes an anchorattachment portion 80 made of a tubular member with an outer diameterless than an inner diameter of the anchor 50 (at the upper attachmentend portion 56 of the anchor) and a plurality of apertures 82 (see FIG.3). Unlike the tubular member of the anchor attachment portion 74, thetubular member of the anchor attachment portion 80 is extendable fromthe upper end 66 of the housing 62, through the conduit 63, and throughthe lower end 64 of the housing. More generally, the anchor attachmentportion 80 is longer than the anchor attachment portion 74. Theplurality of apertures 82 are position proximate a lower end of theanchor attachment portion 80 and are alignable with the apertures 76 ofthe anchor attachment portion 74 and the apertures 54 of the anchor 50.

In the illustrated embodiment, the bottom and top caps 68, 70 eachinclude a plurality of flanges 90 secured to and extending between thesealing portions 72, 78 and the anchor attachment portions 74, 80,respectively.

The anchor 50 includes an elongate rod-like element extending from theattachment end portion 56 accessible above the ground 52 to an embedmentend portion 58 embeddable in the ground. The anchor 50 can be any ofvarious anchors, piers, or piles known in the art having any of variousworking tensile and compressive load ratings. For example, depending onsoil characteristics, the anchors 50 can have a working tensile andcompressive load rating between about 50,000 pounds and about 100,000pounds, and a lateral load rating of approximately 15,000 pounds. Forexample, in some implementations, the anchors 50 can include embedmentend portions 58 that have helical screws (as shown), helical fins, spinfin, and/or other embedding elements. The type of embedment end portion58 can be based at least partially on the geology at the installationsite. For example, helical screws may provide better embedment withinsoil and geological formations of a particular type than helical fins,while helical fins provide better embedment within soil and geologicalformations of a different type than helical screws.

Referring to FIG. 2, the length of the anchors 50 can be predeterminedsuch that the embedment end portion 58 is embedded within a geologicalformation a predetermined distance D below the ground, which, as shown,can correspond to the lower end 38 of the support column 30.Accordingly, based at least partially on the geology of the installationsite, the length of the anchor 50 and the type of embedment end portion58 can be selected such that the embedment end portion 58 embeds in asuitable formation at a suitable depth D for achieving a desirableresistance to overturning forces acting on the tower. In someembodiments, the tower foundation 10 is capable of resisting overturningforces up to about 20,000,000 ft-lb. In more specific implementations,the tower foundation 10 resists overturning forces up to between about5,000,000 ft-lb and 7,000,000 ft-lb.

Generally, the embedment end portion 58 of the anchor 50 can be embeddedat a greater depth D if more resistance to overturning forces isdesired. Alternatively, or in addition, the embedment end portion 58type that provides the strongest embedment with the type of formation atthe desired depth D can be selected for achieving a greater resistanceto overturning forces. In some instances, the embedment end portions 58of the anchors 50 can be substantially below the support column 30,e.g., the depth D below the ground and support column can be betweenabout 20 feet and about 30 feet. If necessary, the desired depth D canbe any of various other lengths below 20 feet or above 30 feet. Further,in some instances, the outer diameter of the support column 30 can bebetween about 1 foot and about 10 feet. Accordingly, in somerepresentative implementations, the ratio of the depth D and the outerdiameter of the support column 30 is between about 2 and about 30.

Referring to FIG. 3, one representative method of installing the towerfoundation 10, e.g., secured it to the ground 52, is shown. The towerfoundation 10 can be installed above or at least partially below groundlevel. In an above-ground installation (see FIGS. 2 and 3), the arms 20and central support column 30 are positioned above the surface of theground 52. When installing the tower foundation 10 in this manner, anexcavation pit need not be dug in the ground prior to installing thefoundation. However, in a below-ground installation where the arms 20and central support column 30 are completely or partially below groundlevel, a shallow excavation pit should be formed in the ground prior toinstalling the tower foundation 10 (see, e.g., FIG. 5).

In most below-ground installation implementations, the depth of theexcavation pit is not significantly more than the distance between alower end 38 of the central support column 30 and a top of the top cap70. For example, if concealment of the tower foundation 10 is desired,the depth of the exaction pit can be just greater than the distancebetween the lower end 38 of the central support column 30 and a top ofthe top cap 70 such that ground components, such as dirt, soil, rocks,etc., or a solidifying agent, such as concrete, grout, etc., can placedon top or over of the foundation to conceal it. However, in someimplementations, the depth of the excavation pit can have any of variousdepths as desired by the user. As used herein, shallow excavation pitcan include excavation pits having a depth that is between about 5% and25% of the depth D of the anchors. In certain implementations, theshallow excavation pit can be between about 3 and about 6 feet. Becausethe excavation pit is shallow, less debris is removed, shoring is notrequired, and de-watering is effectively eliminated as shallow pits arenot deep enough to reach most water table levels. Therefore, theinstallation step of removing water with a water-pump truck required bymost conventional tower foundations in not required for the installationof the tower foundation 10.

Anchors 50 suitable for the installation site are embedded within theground such that the attachment end portions 56 of the anchors are abovethe ground 52 (or at least above the bottom surface of the excavationpit if an excavation pit is desired) and the embedment end portions 58are secured to desired geological formations proximate the desired depthD. In some implementations, the anchors 50 are torqued, e.g., rotated orscrewed, into the ground 52 by a torque motor or similar device untilthe embedment end portions 58 reach the desired depth D. In otherimplementations, narrow, upright cylindrical holes are dug into theground and the anchors 50 are inserted into the holes. A solidifying,shrink-resistant material, such as concrete, mortar, or grout, can thenbe poured into the holes around the anchors 50 to at least partiallysecure the anchors to the ground.

The base 12 of the tower foundation 10 can be used as a template forfacilitating proper placement of the anchors 50 relative to the outerends 26 of the arms 20. The base 12 can be positioned in the location atwhich the tower is to be installed. Each anchor 50 is then continuouslyinserted through a housing 62 of respective anchor attachment systems 60until properly embedded into the ground 52. In this manner, the housings62 act as a guide for proper placement and orientation of the anchors50. Once the anchors 50 are properly embedded into the ground 52, thebase 12 can be removed.

The attachment end portions 56 of the anchors 50 are then inserted intothe anchor attachment portion 74 of respective lower caps 68 by loweringthe lower caps over the anchor attachment portion. The base is thenlowered over the lower caps 68 such that each lower cap is aligned witha respective housing 62. The top caps 70 are then inserted into andthrough respective housings 62, and within the attachment portions 56 ofthe corresponding anchors 50. The bottom and top caps 68, 70 can berotated until the apertures 76, 82 are aligned with each other, andaligned with the apertures 54 of the corresponding anchor 50. Oncealigned, fasteners (not shown) can be extended through the apertures 76of the anchor attachment portion 74, the apertures 54 of the anchor 50,and the apertures 82 of the anchor attachment portion 80 and tightenedto secure the bottom and top caps 68, 70 to the anchors 50, and theanchors and caps to the base 12.

The length of the anchor attachment portion 80 of the top caps 70 andplacement of the apertures 76, 82 are such that when the bottom and topcaps 68, 70 are secured to each other, the sealing portions 72, 78 ofthe bottom and top caps contact the bottom and top ends 64, 66 ofrespective housings 62 to effectively seal the bottom and top ends ofthe housings. In some implementations, just prior to securing the topcap 70 to the bottom cap 68, a solidifying, shrink-resistant material,such as grout, can be poured into the space 63 between the housing andthe anchor attachment portion 80. In some implementations, at least oneof the sealing portions 72, 78 can include a coverable hole throughwhich the solidifying material can be injected into the space 63 afterthe bottom and top caps 68, 70 are secured to the anchors 50 andhousings 62. The effective seal achieved by the sealing portions 72, 78acts to contain the solidifying material within the space 63 of thehousings 62. As the material hardens, it acts to improve the connectionbetween the housing 62, caps 68, 70 and anchors 50. Further, thesolidifying material can act to resist rotation of the anchors 50 afterthey are properly embedded within the ground 52. As used herein, theseals created by the caps are not limited to hermetical seals, but caninclude partial seals, such as seals sufficient to prevent largermaterials from entering the housing but may allow smaller materials toenter the housing.

The anchor attachment system 60 is designed to accommodate tilting orangling of the anchors 50. As the anchors 50 are embedded within theground 52, they may have a tendency to angle inward or outward relativeto vertical due to the installation site geology or the installationtechnique. In some implementations, the anchors 50 are desirablyembedded within the ground in a vertical orientation, e.g., parallel tothe support column central axis 36 (see FIG. 2), but may inadvertentlytilt during installation. Alternatively, in certain implementations, theanchors may be desirably embedded within the ground at an angle relativeto vertical. Whether the anchors 50 are advertently or inadvertentlyembedded within the ground at an angle, the anchor attachment system 60allows for such angling.

Because of the coupling between the bottom and top caps 68, 70 and therespective anchors 50, any angling of the anchors causes a correspondingangling of the anchor attachment portions 74, 80. Therefore, toaccommodate angling of the anchors 50, the anchor attachment system 60should also accommodate angling of the anchor attachment portions 74,80. To accommodate tilting of the anchors 50 and anchor attachmentportions 74, 80, the inner diameter of the housing 62 is significantlylarger than the outer diameter of the anchor attachment portion 80 ofthe top cap 70. Accordingly, there sufficient room within the space 63of the housing 62 for the anchor attachment portion 80 to be angled withrespect to a central axis (not shown) of the housing 62 and remainwithin the space. To facilitate a seal between the sealing portions 72,78 and the bottom and top ends 64, 66 of a respective housing 62 when ananchor is angled with respect to the housing, the sealing portions 72,78 can include lips 79 extending about a periphery of the sealingportions to capture solidifying material poured into the housing 62,thus maintaining a proper bearing at the seals.

Although the bottom cap 68 is shown below the housing 62 and the top cap70 is shown above the housing, in some implementations, the bottom andtop caps can be reversed if desired. As shown, the top cap 70 includes asecond of set apertures 83 positioned proximate an end of the top capopposite the end of the top cap at which the apertures 82 areapproximately located. The top caps 70 can be coupled to the anchors 50by aligning and fastening the apertures 83 with the apertures 76 of theanchors. The housings 62 of the base 12 can then be lowered overrespective anchor attachment portions 80 of the top caps 70. The bottomcap 64 can be coupled to the top cap 70 by aligning and fastening theapertures 76 of the bottom cap with the apertures 82 of the top cap. Inthis manner, the sealing portion 72 of the bottom cap 68 effectivelyseals the top end 66 of the housing 62 and the sealing portion 78effectively seals the bottom end 64 of the housing.

In some implementations, a moisture-resistant material can be pouredover or coated on the base 12 and caps 68, 70 to protect the componentsof the tower foundation 10 from moisture. The moisture-resistantmaterial can be any of various materials known in the art, such as, forexample, asphaltic sealant, paint and concrete. Alternative to, or inaddition to, a moisture-resistant material, the components of the towerfoundation 10 can be galvanized to protect them against the negativeeffects of moisture.

In several preferred embodiments, the tower foundation 10 is installedwithout a concrete cap or pouring concrete over the foundation. Asdescribed above, conventional tower foundations having large concretecaps or embedments often require a waiting period of about 3-4 weeksafter the pouring of the concrete before the support column andsupported structure are secured to the foundation. Because the towerfoundation 10 does not include a concrete cap or covering in preferringembodiments, the waiting period required to allow the concrete to set iseliminated and the entire tower, including support column and supportedstructure can be installed at one time, e.g., in a single day.

After installation, the tower foundation 10, according to someembodiments, is configured for easy removal and reuse, such as atanother location. As described above, after installations, structuralelements of a tower foundation may fail or the tower foundation may nolonger be needed in a particular location. In one particularimplementation, the tower foundation 10 is removed by decoupling thebottom caps 68 from the anchors 50, e.g., by removing the fasteners, andlifting the base 12 and caps 68, 70 away from the anchors. The anchors50 can be rotated in a loosening direction using, for example, the samedevice used to install the anchors. The base 12, caps 68, 70, andanchors 50 can then be moved to a different installation site andreinstalled.

Because the top caps 70 are coupled to the anchors 50 via the bottomcaps 68, rotation of the top caps 70 also rotates the anchors 50.Therefore, if the base 12 has been moved (e.g., tilted, raised, lowered,shifted) due to the extraneous factors, such as movement in or shiftingof the ground, large overturning forces, etc., the anchors 50 can beadjusted after installation by rotating the top cap 70 to adjust theorientation base 12 if necessary. In certain implementations, this canbe accomplished using the same device, e.g., torque motor, used toinstall the anchors 50.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, a tower foundation 110 similar to towerfoundation 10 is shown. Like the tower foundation 10, the towerfoundation 110 includes arms 120 secured to and extending radially froma central support column 130. The arms 120 are each secured to thecentral support column 130 at first inner ends 124 and coupled to anchorattachment systems 160 at second outer ends 126. As shown, the firstinner ends 124 of the arms 120 are at least partially secured to thecentral support column 130 and the second outer ends 126 are at leastpartially secured to the housing 162 of a respective anchor attachmentsystem 160 by brackets 170, 172, respectively. The brackets 170, 172 canbe welded to the support column 130 and housings 162, respectively, andfastened to the arms 120 with fasteners 174 or weldments. The brackets170, 172 can each have a pair of vertical portion flanges between whicha vertical portion 122 of a respective arm 120 is secured.

The arms 120 can be I-beams that have two horizontal portions 123between which the vertical portion 122 extends. Each horizontal portion123 of the arms 120 includes a set of apertures 125. Alternatively, incertain implementations, the arms 120 can be beams of other shapes, suchas tube steel having a circular, square or rectangular cross-sectionalshape, with apertures similar to apertures 125.

Similar to tower foundation 10, the tower foundation 110 includes a pairof vertically spaced-apart stiffener plates 140 a, 140 b secured to theouter surfaces of the housings 162 and the outer surface 132 of thesupport column 130. The stiffener plates 140 a, 140 b can be secured tothe housings 162 and support column 130 by using any of various couplingtechniques, such as welding. The stiffener plates 140 a, 140 b eachinclude sets of apertures 142 alignable with the apertures 125 of thehorizontal portions 123 of the respective arms 120. Accordingly, thearms 120 can be further secured to the support column 130 and housings162, and the stiffener plates 140 a, 140 b can be secured to the arms120, by extending fasteners, such as fasteners 144, through theapertures 125, 144 and tightening the fasteners against the stiffenerplates and arms (see FIG. 5).

The anchor attachment systems 160 can be similar to the anchorattachment systems 60 of the tower foundation 10. Alternatively, theanchor attachment system 160 can include elements for facilitating anyof various coupling or fastening techniques known in the art. Similarly,the anchors 150 can be anchors similar to anchors 50 described above oralternatively, can be any of various anchors or piles known in the art.

Like the tower foundation 10, the tower foundation 110 can be installedabove the ground, below the ground, or partially below the ground in amanner similar to that described above for the tower foundation 10.

In certain implementations, the tower foundations 10, 110 may alsoinclude a stiffener plate (not shown) secured to the inner surface ofthe support column. The stiffener plate can have a substantially annularshape. The stiffener plate can promote rigidity in and strengthen thesupport column at the junction between the arms and the column.

In certain applications of the tower foundations 10, 110, certainapplications of other tower foundations, or any other application inwhich embedment anchors, such as anchors 50, are used, it may bedesirable to increase the lateral load rating of the anchors. In someembodiments, an anchor's resistance to lateral loads may be increased byutilizing the passive pressure of the soil in which the anchor isembedded. Basically, the higher the passive pressure of the soil againstthe anchor, the higher the anchor's resistance to lateral loads. Somestructures and methods may be utilized to increase the passive pressureof soil against each anchor. For example, a grouted column of concretemay be positioned around the embedded anchor along a substantial lengthof the anchor. In another example, a larger diameter anchor may bedriven into the soil around the anchor. The larger diameter anchor maythen be coupled to the smaller anchor using any of various couplingmechanisms and/or coupling techniques known in the art. Alternatively,in some implementations, a concrete anchor cap embedded in the soil toencase the upper portion of the anchor may be used.

Preferably, however, a lateral support device, such as lateral supportdevice 200 of FIG. 6, is used to effectively increase the passivepressure of the soil against each anchor 50 and increase the lateralload rating of each anchor. Generally, the lateral support device 200 isdriven into the soil about an embedded anchor. In some embodiments,because the lateral support device 200 substantially envelopes an anchor50, it can be defined as a lateral support sleeve. The embedded anchoris at least partially laterally supported by the lateral support device200. The lateral support device 200 is configured to contact a largeportion of the soil. Essentially, the larger the area of the lateralsupport device 200 in contact with the soil, the higher the passivepressure of the soil against the lateral support device. Because theembedded anchor is laterally supported by the lateral support device200, the increased soil contact area of the lateral support deviceeffectively increases the passive pressure of the soil against theembedded anchor, and thus the anchor's resistance to lateral loads.

As shown in FIG. 6, the lateral support device 200 increases the soilcontact area of the anchor 50 via a plurality of fins 230. The fins 230extend from an elongate central body 210. Preferably, the central body210 is a hollow tubular member having an outer surface 212 and anopposing inner surface 214. The inner surface 214 defines a channel 216(e.g., anchor receptacle) extending the length of the central body 210,which is defined between a first end 218 and second end 220 of thecentral body (see also FIG. 7). As shown, the central body 210 isconfigured such that the cross-sectional shape of the channel 216 alonga plane perpendicular to its length is substantially circular. In otherimplementations, the cross-sectional shape of the channel 216 can be anyof various shapes as desired without departing from the essence of thepresent disclosure. Desirably, the cross-sectional shape and size of thechannel 216 corresponds with the cross-sectional shape and size of theanchor 50. However, as will be described below, in certain embodiments,the cross-sectional shape and size of the channel 216 need notcorrespond with the shape and size of the anchor 50 to achieve at leastsome of the advantages described herein.

Each fin 230 includes a plate-like element extending lengthwise from afirst end 232 to a second end 234. The length of each fin 230 can be thesame as the length of the central body 210 as shown. However, in someembodiments, the length of the fins 230 is shorter than the length ofthe central body 210. Additionally, although all of the fins 230 in theillustrated embodiment have the same length, in other embodiments, thefins 230 can have different lengths. The fins 230 each have a heightdefined between an inner edge 236 and an outer edge 238. The height ofthe fins 230 can be the same or different. The length and height of thefins 230 can be selected to provide a desired resistance to lateralforces or lateral load rating. More specifically, the area of the fins230 contactable with soil can be predetermined by selecting a desiredlength to height combination of the fins.

The fins 230 are secured to and extend away from the outer surface 212of the central body 210. In the illustrated embodiments, the fins 230are positioned about the outer surface 212 an equidistance apart fromeach other and extend substantially perpendicularly away from thecentral body (see, e.g., FIG. 7). However, in other embodiments, thefins 230 need not be equidistant apart from each other and can extend atan angle less than ninety-degrees if desired based on, e.g., theparticular application or location in which the foundation is installed.For example, variably positioned fins 230 in an angular arrangement maybe desirable in a geographic location where the direction of wind issubstantially constant. The second end 234 of each fin can be angledrelative to the ground 52 to facilitate entry into and passage throughthe ground 52. In the illustrated embodiment, the lateral support device200 includes four fins 200. However, the lateral support device 200 caninclude any number of fins 230 as desired in view of lateral loadrating, manufacturing, installation, cost, and other considerations.

The lateral support device 200 can be installed in any number of waysusing any number of techniques. Referring to FIGS. 8-10, in oneembodiment, the lateral support device 200 is installed using aninstallation tool 250 and a driving device 270. The installation tool250 can be an elongate length of pipe, tubing, or rod securable to theupper attachment end portion 56 of an embedded anchor 50 in axialalignment with the anchor. The installation tool 250 is extendablelengthwise upwardly away from the anchor 50 and the ground 52 in whichthe anchor is embedded (see FIG. 8). For facilitating attachment to theanchor 50, the installation tool 250 has apertures 258 alignable withcorresponding apertures 54 of the upper attachment end portion 56 of theanchor. With the apertures 54, 258 aligned, fasteners can be extendedthrough the aligned apertures to secure the installation tool 250 to theembedded anchor 50.

The installation tool 250 has an outer surface 252 and an opposing innersurface 254. Also, the installation tool 250 has an outercross-sectional size and shape perpendicular to its length and definedby the outer surface 252. The outer cross-sectional size and shape ofthe installation tool 250 corresponds with the cross-sectional size andshape of the channel 216. Preferably, the size of the installationtool's cross-section is just smaller that the channel's cross-sectionsuch that the installation tool 250 is slidable within the channel 216and the tool maintains the lateral support device 200 in axial alignmentwith the tool and anchor 50 as the tool slides within the channel.

During installation, the installation tool 250 is secured to theembedded anchor 50 as described above and the lateral support device 200is slid over and downwardly along the installation tool and the upperattachment end portion 56 of the anchor 50 until the device contacts theground 52 (see FIG. 9 showing the upper attachment end portion 56 inhidden view). The length of the installation tool 250 is selected suchthat a portion of the tool extends upwardly through and beyond thelateral support device 200 when the device is in contact with theground. The driving mechanism 270 is then secured to or makes contactwith the exposed portion of the installation tool 250 to drive thelateral support device 200 into the ground 52. In some embodiments, thedriving mechanism 270 is a hydraulic jack that utilizes the installationtool 250 as leverage to drive the lateral support device 200 into theground 52.

As the lateral support device 200 is driven into the ground, theinstallation tool 250 and anchor 50 act as guides for maintaining thedevice in a proper orientation, e.g., axial alignment with the anchor.The lateral support device 200 is driven into the ground 52 a desirabledistance, e.g., a distance sufficient to position the first ends 232 ofthe fins 230 flush with or below the surface of the ground 52. Oncesatisfactorily driven into the ground 52, the installation tool 250 canbe removed from the anchor 50 and the tower foundation 10, 110 can besecured to the anchor as described above. Preferably, this process isrepetitively performed until a respective lateral support device 200 issecured to each of the plurality of anchors 50.

When installed, in one embodiment, the channel 216 of the lateralsupport device 200 and outer surface of the anchor 50 are shaped andsized such that the inner surface 214 of the device is in substantialcontact with the outer surface of the anchor. In some instances, theanchor 50 is secured to the lateral support device 200 via a press-fitconnection. The contact or direct engagement between the two surfacesprovides the connection whereby lateral loads on the anchors 50 aretransferred from the anchors 50 to the lateral support devices 200. Thelateral loads transferred to the lateral support devices 200 are thentransferred to the supporting soil through the fins 230.

In one alternative embodiment, the channel 216 of the lateral supportdevice 200 and outer surface of the anchor 50 are differently shapedand/or sized such that the inner surface 214 of the device is not insubstantial contact with the outer surface of the anchor. For example,the cross-sectional area of the channel 216 can be significantly largerthan the outer cross-sectional area of the anchor 50. In thisembodiment, a gap exists between the inner surface 214 of the lateralsupport device 200 and the outer surface of the anchor 50. To facilitateload transfer between the anchor 50 and the lateral support device 200,the gap can be filled with grout, which provides indirect contact orengagement between the anchor and device.

Although the illustrated embodiments include one lateral support device200 for each anchor 50, in other embodiments, two or more lateralsupport devices 200 can be installed about each anchor without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

The lateral support device 200 and installation tool 250 can be madefrom any of various rigid materials, such as steel, aluminum, compositematerials, and fiber-reinforced plastic. In certain implementations, thelateral support device 200 is made from and metal and the fins 230 arewelded to the central body 210.

As discussed above, although the lateral support device 200 andinstallation tool 250 are shown in conjunction with tower foundations10, 110, they are not limited to use with such foundations. For example,the lateral support device 200 and installation tool 250 describedherein can be used with any tower foundation system that uses embedmentanchors or any other application in which embedment anchors are used.

The present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from its spirit or essential characteristics. The describedembodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrativeand not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicatedby the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. Allchanges which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of theclaims are to be embraced within their scope.

1. A lateral support device for an anchor embedded in the ground,comprising: a central body defining an interior channel sized to receivethe embedded anchor; and a plurality of fins coupled to and extendingoutwardly away from the central body; wherein the central body andplurality of fins are embeddable within the ground to position theembedded anchor within the interior channel.
 2. The lateral supportdevice of claim 1, wherein when the central body and plurality of finsare embedded in the ground to position the embedded anchor within theinterior channel, lateral loads on the embedded anchor are transferredto the central body, from the central body to the plurality of fins, andfrom the plurality of fins to the ground.
 3. The lateral support deviceof claim 1, wherein the central body has an elongate tubular shape andeach of the plurality of fins extends along an entire length of thecentral body, each fin being substantially parallel to the length of thecentral body.
 4. The lateral support device of claim 3, wherein each fincomprises a leading edge angled relative to the length of the centralbody.
 5. The lateral support device of claim 1, wherein the plurality offins are positioned about an outer periphery of the central bodyequidistantly apart from each other.
 6. The lateral support device ofclaim 1, wherein each of the plurality of fins extends substantiallytransversely away from the central body.
 7. An anchoring system,comprising: an anchor embeddable into the ground; and a lateral supportsleeve comprising an anchor receptacle, the lateral support sleeve beingembeddable into the ground about the anchor such that the anchor ispositioned within the anchor receptacle, wherein the lateral supportsleeve comprises a plurality of fins.
 8. The anchoring system of claim7, wherein the plurality of fins each extends substantially parallel tothe anchor when the anchor and lateral support sleeve are embedded intothe ground.
 9. The anchoring system of claim 7, wherein across-sectional size and shape of the anchor receptacle is substantiallythe same as a cross-sectional size and shape of the anchor such thatwhen the anchor is positioned within the anchor receptacle the anchor isin substantial contact with the anchor receptacle.
 10. The anchoringsystem of claim 7, wherein at least one of a cross-sectional size andshape of the anchor receptacle is different than at least one of across-sectional size and shape of the anchor such that a gap isdefinable between the anchor and the anchor receptacle when the anchoris positioned within the anchor receptacle.
 11. The anchoring system ofclaim 7, further comprising a plurality of anchors embeddable into theground and a plurality of lateral support sleeves each being embeddableinto the ground about a respective one of the plurality of anchors. 12.A method for installing an anchoring system, comprising: removablycoupling an installation tool to an anchor embedded in the ground;movably coupling a lateral support device to the installation tool;while movably coupled to the installation tool, driving the lateralsupport device into the ground about the embedded anchor; and afterdriving the lateral support device about the embedded anchor, removingthe installation tool from the anchor.
 13. The method of claim 12,wherein the lateral support device comprises an anchor receptacle and aplurality of fins extending away from the anchor receptacle, and whereinmovably coupling the lateral support device to the installation toolcomprises inserting the installation tool into the anchor receptacle.14. The method of claim 13, wherein driving the lateral support deviceinto the ground about the embedded anchor comprises inserting theembedded anchor into the anchor receptacle.
 15. The method of claim 14,further comprising positioning a grout-like material between theembedded anchor and the anchor receptacle.
 16. The method of claim 14,wherein inserting the embedded anchor into the anchor receptaclecomprises press-fitting the embedded anchor into the anchor receptacle.17. The method of claim 12, wherein when removably coupled to theembedded anchor, the installation tool is aligned with and extendssubstantially parallel to the embedded anchor.
 18. The method of claim12, wherein driving the lateral support device comprises moving thelateral support device along the installation tool, the installationtool maintaining the lateral support device in alignment with theembedded anchor as the lateral support device moves along theinstallation tool.
 19. A tower foundation system, comprising: a base; aplurality of anchors coupleable to the base and embeddable into theground to secure the base to the ground; and a plurality of lateralsupport sleeves each securable to a respective one of the plurality ofanchors, each lateral support sleeve being embeddable into the groundabout the respective anchor, wherein each lateral support sleevecomprises a plurality of fins.
 20. A method for installing a towerfoundation, comprising: embedding an anchor in the ground; securing aninstallation tool to the anchor; positioning a lateral support deviceover the installation tool, the lateral support device comprising aplurality of fins; driving the lateral support device along theinstallation tool and into the ground about the anchor; after drivingthe lateral support device, removing the installation tool from theanchor; and securing a foundation base to the anchor.